Hello everyone, and welcome to the UTK Student Chapter of Wildlife Disease Association!

I was born and raised in Nashville, TN. I am a Senior majoring in Animal Science with a concentration in Pre-Veterinary Medicine. I am in the process of applying to veterinary school, so if you have any questions about that, please feel free to reach out! I have an interest in exotic animal and emergency medicine and have worked with an exotic animal clinic in Nashville for the last 4 semesters. Outside of medicine, I enjoy reading fantasy books, watching movies and hiking, so I am always looking for good suggestions in those areas!

Contact: lclarke2@vols.utk.edu 

Hi, my name is Mikayil, I'm a Knoxville native and a senior majoring in animal science, in our pre-veterinary medicine concentration. Currently I am applying for veterinary school, hoping to start in the Fall of 2025! I have personal interests in disease pathology, internal medicine, and infectious disease! I've been working at a local veterinary clinic for the last 4 years. I also work in the diagnostic parasitology lab at UTCVM. After vet school I hope to specialize in internal medicine, and eventually teach at a university. When I'm not working, studying, or cuddling my cat I like to read, paint, hike, bake, and play DnD.

If you have any questions about applying to vet school, getting clinical experience, or working in a lab please feel free to reach out!

Contact: mbirdal2@vols.utk.edu

My name is Katherine. I am a senior majoring in Wildlife Health under the Wildlife and Fisheries Department in the School of Natural Resources. My professional aspirations are to combine Wildlife Biology and Veterinary Medicine with a One Health approach. To support these goals, I am very thankful to have studied deer capture and monitoring in West Tennessee and abroad in Thailand and Belize, where I specialized in research, wildlife management, tropical shelter management, domestic animal surgery, anesthesia monitoring, and elephant rescue and rehabilitation. I served as assistant coordinator and coordinator for the Tennessee Amphibian Monitoring Servery for the past two years. When I'm not studying, I work as a Veterinary Assistant at UTCVM Small Animal Clinic, volunteer at Camp Wildernest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, paint, sew, hike, and attend music festivals. 

If you are interested in wildlife, conservation, research, volunteer activities, veterinary medicine, or studying abroad, please reach out so I can help you reach your goals! I always have time to help you grow and succeed. If you need a friend, we are now friends!! You can talk to me about anything, anytime. 

Contact: kballar8@vols.utk.edu

My name is Noah and I am a senior studying microbiology. I may not be studying animal science but I have a huge interest in one health. I currently work in research studying animal health and food safety. Outside of my studies I love photography (mainly wildlife), sports, scuba diving, and watching movies.

Hello! My name is Skyler Eckl and I am a junior in the Wildlife and Fisheries major with a concentration in wildlife health. I currently plan on going into veterinary microbiology with an emphasis on marine life and viruses! I am a veterinary assistant at a small animal clinic and I also work as a scuba diver at Ripley's Aquarium! I am also part of a microbiology research lab looking at cyanobacteria and viruses. When I am not working or studying, I love to read, write, hike, and scuba dive! If you have any questions about marine life, scuba diving, or research I'm your girl! I look forward to a great year with y'all! 

Hello, my name is Sydney Anglin and I am a junior Ecology and Evolution Biology major here at UT. My home town is Cleveland TN located just outside of Chattanooga, however I now live in Knoxville year round. After I graduate, I plan on heading to vet school to become a zoology veterinarian. I currently work as a vet assistant at West Bearden Veterinary Hospital and I recently travelled to Belize this summer to learn small animal medicine through UT Study Abroad. In my free time I enjoy skateboarding, cooking, playing DnD, and volunteering at Zoo Knoxville and Young William’s Animal Shelter.